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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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..^»^*$### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### AND A GIFT SHOP. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### CONSIDERED POOR. ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## SOME ARE SHATTERED. ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### ** ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### ** ** ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ** ** ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# ** #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### LIT FROM BEHIND. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### ** ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### ** ** ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ** ** ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# ** #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### FLOOR. ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## BECOME STILL. ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### ** ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### ** ** ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# ** ** #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## ** ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #$*^»^....
...^»^*$## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##$*^»^...
..^»^*$### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ###$*^»^..
.^»^*$#### I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ####$*^»^.
..^»^*$### THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ###$*^»^..
...^»^*$## ##$*^»^...
....^»^*$# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #$*^»^....
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